Triumphs, Failures, and Everything In Between

Salted Mudslide Cookies

Being a homekeeper with young kids means that most of my days are spent in kid-mode. I am surrounded by Dr. Seuss books, Disney movies, building blocks, and stuffed animals. Which is all well and good, but if I am being honest here, I can’t be in kid-mode all the time. I would go crazy. Being a homekeeper means that I have more jobs than Mommy. I am also Big Man’s wife, which means I am his best friend and his lover, which are most definitely “grown-up” roles. So I make sure to have some grown-up time every day, like having a glass of wine with dinner or reading a book that doesn’t rhyme or have pictures. Or baking and eating these cookies, which are most definitely grown-up cookies. No kids allowed.

When I saw this recipe over at How Sweet It Is, I knew I had to make it for Big Man and me. Dessert is our daily “date” time together anyway, enjoyed after the kids are in bed. We snuggle on the couch and eat something sweet and talk or watch a TV show. I look forward to it every day. So this recipe that includes dark chocolate and Kahlua in a sweet/salty cookie is the perfect mini-date dessert. Big Man was a little skeptical about the salt on top so I made half of the cookies without, but after he tried them he agreed that the salted ones were better. The salt enhanced the Kahlua taste and really put the cookies over the top. So if you are looking for an adults-only dessert, make these cookies. And for a really grown-up time, enjoy them with a cup of coffee with some Bailey’s stirred in. Mmmmmm.

First melt the butter so it can cool while you gather the rest of the ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, instant coffee, salt, brown sugar, and sugar. Switch to a wooden spoon and mix in the melted butter, egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and coffee liqueur. The dough will be thick, but it will come together. Stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and set on a non-stick baking sheet (or use a silicone baking mat). Bake 8-10 minutes until centers are puffy and edges are just set. Remove from oven and sprinkle sea salt on the tops immediately. Let cookies sit on baking sheet about 3 minutes before removing them to a plate and devouring them.